Rail joint



June 12, 1934. E. w ARUTHER$ 1,962,708

RAIL JOINT Filed Oct. 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W' 7268868 2 nventaz" E W the W iy I 8726 Gama ns Patented June 12, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 18 Claims;

My invention relates to railroad rail joints.

A purpose of my invention is to obtain splice bar vertical column support of the head of the rail from the rail flange with take up for wear at 8 the head.

A further purpose is to support the head of the rail from a portion of the flange at a maintained predetermined distance from the web of the rail.

A further purpose is to employ two spaced l0, engaging surfaces for the foot of a splice bar and a single engaging surface for the head of the splice bar.

A further purpose is to positively laterally restrain from inward motion the foot of a splice bar 151 and to concurrently positively vertically support the foot at the flattest portion of the rail flange. A further purpose is to have the engagement of the splice bar against the rail head substantially vertically above the engagement of the splice bar against the rail flange and to concurrently laterally support the foot of the splice bar against the rail web.

A further purpose is to support the. foot of the splice bar on the rail flange relatively far from the rail web and to prevent the foot from creeping toward the web.

A further purpose is to provide a rocking pivotal support for the foot of the splice bar against the web of the rail so that, with shifting 3 of the top of the splice bar due to wear in the engaging faces between the top of the splice bar flange and the under surface of the head of the rail, the rocking pivotal point on the web will shift vertically.

A further purpose is to progressively uniformly distribute wear over a relatively large rail bearing surface rather than over a localized zone.

A further purpose is to support the head of the rail on the rail flange by the splice bar and to readjust the surface of engagement of the foot of the splice bar on the flange, as the posi-' tion of the top of the splice bar shifts due to take up for wear, by pressure of the foot of the splice bar against the web of the rail.

A further purpose is to provide a primary engaging surface for the foot of the splice bar against the rail flange and a secondary engaging surface against the rail web, and desirably to predetermine the positions of the primary and secondary engaging faces of the splice bar with regard to the configuration of the rail so that engagement and initial seating due to wear will take place at the primary point of engagement before contact is established at the secondary point of engagement.

A further purpose is to employ positive lateral restraint of the foot of a splice bar and substam tially vertical support of the foot at the flattst portion of the rail flange, with offset relief of the splice bar between their engaging surfaces to insure close engagement at the points along the length of the splice bar under maximum load.

A further purpose is to use a positively laterally foot-restrained splice bar vertically supported on the flat part of the rail flange which is re lieved at one or more of its engaging surfaces adjacent to the rail ends to resiliently support the rail and avoid battering of the rail ends.

A further purpose is to positively laterally r= strain the foot of a splice bar below the axis of ID the bolts while vertically supporting the rail head from the flat portion of the rail flange, with or without restraint and support at other points, so as to resist inward deflection of the foot of the splice bar under load while permitting takeup under the head of the rail.

In the drawings I illustrate a few only of the many forms in which invention may be em bodied, selecting them from the standpoint of ease in manufacture. satisiactionin use, andconvenint demonstration of the principles involved. It will be understood that many of the numerous vari= ations of existing splice bars might also be applied. to bars operating upon the broad principlesof my invention. Figure 1 is a transverse section of opposite sides of a conventional railroad rail showing one ein= V bodiment of my invention. The sides are sepa rated to indicate that they may be opposite sides of the same rail or sides of different rails, thus pointing out that the splice bars of my invention may be applied to either or both sides or an in= dividual rail joint.-

Figure 2 is a transverse section of opposite sides of a conventional railroad rail showing a variation in the splice bar of Figure l.

Figure 3 corresponds generally to Figure 1, but likewise shows a variation.

Figure 4 is a reduced side elevation of arail joint, showing one form of asplice bar embodying the principles of invention as applied to the splice bar sections shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Figure 5 corresp'ciidstc Figure 4; except that it shows o'fi -set relief inthe splice bar.

Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 4 except that it shows relief adjacent to the ends of the rails.

In the drawings like numerals refer to like parts.

Much difliculty has been encountered in design ing a railroad splice bar which combines the qualities of proper support for the head of the 6 rail, adequate strength longitudinal of the joint, minimum wear in the surfaces of contact with the rail and proper adjustment after wear to maintain contact on all of the engaging faces.

To maintain engagement after wear has occurred there must be provision for takeup in the splice bar, yet the takeup should not necessitate sacrifice of adequate support and proper resistance to wear before takeup is necessary.

I have discovered that the required conditions may be desirably met by supporting the head of the rail from the flat portion of the flange of the rail. The engaging surface of the top of the splice bar should be far enough removed from the rail web to permit takeup at the headby moving the top of the splice bar toward the web in engagement with the under surface of the rail. I a

At the same time, I positively laterally restrain the foot of the splice bar against the rail web, to avoid inward creeping of the foot during use.

My invention may best be understood by reference to the drawings, to which I now refer:-

In Figure 1 I show, at opposite sides of a conventional rail 20, splice bars 21 and 21 united by bolts 22 having nuts 23 and washers 24.

At the under surface 25 of the rail head 26 I provide any desired type of splice bar engagement whichwill permit takeup for wear.

' *Witha view to illustrating the breadth of my invention with regard to the character of head engagement, I illustrate ,in Figure 1 a relatively continuous-headengaging face 2'? of the splice bar,:capable of being drawn toward the head fillet 28 and toward the web 29 as wear occurs'between the splice bar and the rail.

In Figure 2 I show. a relatively short head engaging surface 27 on the splice bar, with relief at 30.

Y In Figure 3 I illustrate an intermediate condition, with head engagement 2'7 and relief at 36 ,Presupposing some type of head engagement capable of takeup; the particular type of head engagement used is immaterial to the broad aspec'tsof my invention.

' With a view to supporting the head of the rail on the flat portion 31 of the rail'flange 32, as distinguished from the steeper portion 33 or the flange fillet 34, 1 provide a flange engaging surface 35jwhich is relatively far removed from the web of the rail.

n Thus, from the standpoint of head support my splice bar'acts as a column, bearing the load in a direction substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the splice bar and substantially parallel to the vertical axis of the rail. In this way I avoid the creation of high lateral stress components tending todeform the splice bar, such as might exist where the splice bar support point was very close to oragainst the rail web.

bar is immaterial to my invention. In Figure 1 I show the top curved and extending beyond the head of the rail at 36; in Figure 2 I show it less curved but nevertheless extending beyond'the rail head at 36', while'in Figure 3 I show the splice bar top within the lateral limits of the rail head, as .at'36 I '.Here again provided the flange engaging surface of the foot of the splice bar is relatively far trated. Of course, any intermediate condition 'rail head is relatively trivial.

iii Also, the outside contour of the top of the splice could exist depending upon the wish of the designer.

Similarly, the outer contour of the foot of the splice bar, whether confined within the limits of the rail flange, as indicated at 37 in Figure 1 and at 37 in Figure 2, or extending beyond the rail flange, as shown at 37 in Figure 3, is not important to my invention.

Since there would be a tendency for the foot of the splice bar to move toward the rail web under load conditions, aggravating the wear and distorting the body of the splice bar, I positively laterally restrain the foot of the splice bar by lateral bearing support upon the rail web.

Referring to Figure l, I illustrate at 38 a bearing surface engaging the web and preventing movement of the foot of the splice bar toward the web. It will be evident that since the hearing support is against a substantially vertical face, the effect of the bearing support at the surface 38 in directly sustaining the load upon the However, the influence of the bearing support at the surface 38' upon the maintenance of engagement at the surface 35 is vital. 100

While the behavior of the splice bar under stress is rather complex, I will illustrate the actions of the various contact faces by considering briefly the behavior of the joint under load and the alterations in the behavior after wear. 105

It will be evident that there are three contact surfaces on the splice bar. The surface 27 contacts against the under surface of the head of the rail. The surface 35 engages the flat portion of the rail flange, and the surface 38 bears against 110 the rail web at the lower part of the web.

When load is applied to the head of the rail by the wheel, part of this load is communicated to the splice bar at the contact surface 27 atthe top of the splice bar. Since the splice bar is supported at 35 against the flat portion of the rail flange directly or substantially below the upper contact surface 27 of the splice bar, the direction of load in the splice bar is substantially vertical, with little or no lateral stress against the rail web through the contact surface 38.

The splice bar being elastic, it is somewhat shortened vertically under load. The effect of this shortening is to cause the foot of the splice bar to tend to move toward the rail web. This tendency, however, cannot be effective to cause movement toward the rail web because of the restraining surface 38 on the foot of the splice bar against the web. 7

Thus the load is supported primarily by the engaging surface 35, while the splice bar foot is concurrently positively laterally restrained by the engaging face 38. r V

During the conditions of use, Wear takes place at all of the engaging faces. However, it is my experience that wear is most pronounced at the engaging surface 27, against the head of the rail. Whether or not-more wear takes place at this point, wear occurring at all three contact Siltfaces gives rise to play which may be taken up by 1% moving the contact surface 2'7 under the rail head, towardthe rail-web.

When such motion occurs, a shifting must, take place in the foot contact surfaces unless, the body of'the splice bar is to be distorted between the foot'andthetopp I T f I allow for readjustment cf the foot contact surfaces in a manner which is notpossible in other forms of splice bars. -Where the splice bar sockets in the rail flange fillet, it is necessary, in 15g order for the top of the splice bar'to move in with wear, that the entire bearing surface of the foot of the splice bar rub across the surface of the fillet.

This action, repeated with each readjustment for wear in the engaging faces between the splice bar and rail causes wear in the socketing parts, especially since the rubbing between the splice bar and the flange fillet always takes place on the same portion of the fillet and at the same place on the splice bar.

In the splice bar of my invention, I avoid this condition. As the top of the splice bar moves toward the rail web after wear, the splice bar has a tendency to rock about the engaging face 38 with the rail web. As soon as rocking about this face becomes appreciable, the engaging face 35 on the flat part of the flange tends to move slightly upward free from engagement with the flange. The load then forces the splice bar bodily slightly downward, causing the engaging face 38 on the splice bar to move downward with respect to the rail web and causing the engaging face 35 to engage the rail fiange once more, but at a point slightly farther removed from the rail web.

While the movements referred to are progressive and gradual, as wear occurs, and while the distances of movement, even during considerable periods of time, are probably measured in hundreds of thousandths or millionths of an inch, it will be understood that after long times under load they become important in determining the extent and character of wear which occurs.

Thus it is seen that as wear proceeds on the contacting surfaces of the splice bar, the contact surface 27 at the top of the splice bar moves inward toward the rail web. The contact surface 35 moves away from the web along thefiat part of the rail flange. The contact surface 38 moves downward along the rail web. All of these contact surfaces during movement progressively encounter unworn portions of the rail and move away from worn portions of the rail, producing a slight evenly distributed wear of the rail rather than a concentrated local wear.

Where, however, the splice bar sockets either in. the flange or head fillet, there is continuous wear at the same point as takeup proceeds. This is not only injurious to the rail, but it causes considerable difiiculty when the joint bar, having worn a deep socketing depression in the rail, must be replaced by another joint bar whose socketing end will not fit in the deeply worn depression of the rail.

I encounter no such difficulty in changing my joint bars after wear, because the wear is at all points progressive, continuous and uniformly distributed.

With a view to seating the major contact surface 35 firmly and permitting superficial wear at that surface before engagement of the contact surface 38, I may construct my joint bar as shown in Figure 2, so that initially it is slightly relieved at 38' and does not engage the web of the rail or engages the web of the rail very slightly. When superficial wear has taken place on the contact surface 35 and on the rail flange, the contact surface 38 will be firmly seated against the web. This form is desirable to insure that scale and other imperfections are removed from the rail flange.

I find that in practice, in spite of considerable care in rolling, there are certain inevitable unevennesses in rails, so that sections taken at different points along the rail, if they could be measured with an accuracy of, say, a hundred thousandth of an inch, would differ. somewhat. The effect of this condition is that the contact surfaces of the joint bar engage the adjacent portions of the rail firmly at certain points and loosely at other'points without regard to the places at which the maximum load must be borne.

In a splice bar of the type shown in Figure 4, having one of the cross-sections of my invention, such as one of those shown in Figures 1 to 3, certain of these difficulties as to unevenness of contact would occur, notwithstanding that such a splice bar would be much superior to those of the prior art.

I find that I may desirably remedy the difficulty by relieving the contact surfacesof the joint bar between the major points of application of the load, which are at the ends of the splice bar and at the middle of the splice bar adjacent to the ends of the rails In Figure 5 I illustrate such a joint bar relieved at points 39, and having one of the transverse sections according to my invention such as those shown in Figures 1 to3.

The ends 'of the rails are subject to injury due to hammering by the wheels. This may desirably be remedied by employing the splice bar of my invention, but relieving the contact surfaces of the splice bar opposite the ends of the rails as indicated at 40 in Figure 6.

Part of the benefit of relief in either of the forms of Figures 5 or 6 may be obtained by relieving any one of the contact surfaces 27, 35 or 38 without relieving the others at the points chosen.

I regard relief of the contact surface 38 of the splice bar as of less importance than at the other contact faces, and I consider that relief at 2''! under the head of the splice bar is most important.

During wear and take up of the splice bar, the contact of the splice bar under the head progressively improves. As the splice bar axis shifts somewhat during take up, I prefer to form the bar so that when initially applied to the rail it will be relatively farther from the web at the top than t at the foot, and after wear requiring replacement it will be relatively farther from the web at the foot than at the top. Thus during an intermediate condition of wear the splice bar will be strictly vertical.

Preferably the splice bar should be initially as L far on one side 'of its absolutely vertical position as it is finally on the other side just prior to replacement.

Many types of splice bars, of every conceivable longitudinal and transverse section, are shown in drawings and structures. now available to the public. It would be relatively easy to examine these disclosures and embody my invention in any one of them. I intend to cover the embodi- :1?

ment of the three-point contact of my invention in any splice bar whatsoever, without regard to the other features which it may show, and I intend to disclose, for the purpose of anticipating others, the three-point contact of my invention applied to splice bars, no matter what the peculiar characteristics of the splice bar, or of the rails, or of the bolts, or washers or other tightening means used.

It will be evident that my invention makes it Ill 13 possible very exactly to determine not only the angle with respect to the vertical of the line between effective upper and lower bar contact but the height at which the pivot is located about which the bar swings. Moreover, this is independent of such accidents of rail detail as the size of the rail fillets at the bottom of the web and so may be applied to any .rail section.

It will further be evident that my invention may start out initially with the characteristics pointed out or may work into a fit at which these characteristics, latent at the beginning become evident or effective. Both at the base support and at the contact under the head the contact surface may initially be narrow and remain narrow or may be initially wide and free with swinging movements of the bar or may be initially narrow and work into a progressively or suddenlymuch widened surface, permitting all of the variations of head and flange engagements provided by any other bar.

- In view of my invention and disclosure variations and modifications to meet individual choice or particular need will doubtless become evident to others skilled in the art, to obtain part or all of the benefits of my invention without copying the structure shown, and I, therefore, claim all such in so far as they fall within the reasonable spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:--

1. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends having fishing spaces bounded by the heads, webs and flanges and fillets adjoining the webs, and a pair of splice bars, one on each side of the rails, each splice bar clearing the rails along the mid portions of the fillets between the rail webs and rail .base flanges and engaging with the flanges of the rails to support the splice bar, and with the lower part of the web of the rail to prevent inward movement and with the under face of the head of the rail at a distance from the upper fillet to support the head of the rail at variant positions according to the adjusted movements of the splice bar.

2. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends having each heads, webs and flanges and fillets adjoiningv the upper and lower limits of the webs and a splice'bar lying within the fishing space of the rail and having engagement within that space with the head at a distance from the upper fillet, with the flange outside of the lower fillet and a rocking engagement with the web at the lower portion of the web and above the lower fillet, the said splice bar clearing from the rail along the mid portion or" the fillet joining the rail web and rail flange.

3. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends each having a fishing space between the head and flange, 2. splice bar forming on initial substantial-.

1y vertical support for the head from the flange, engaging the flange within the fishing space for support of the head and havingpivotal engagement with the web above but adjacent to the lower web fillet and bolts holding the splice bar in position, the said splice bar clearing from the rail along the said fillet.

4. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends each having a fishing space between the head and flange, splice bars engaging theflanges and webs at the bottoms on opposite sides of the lower web fillets, clearing from the rails along the intermediate portion of the fillets and having engagement with the heads of the rails near the webs, outside of the upper web fillets and adapted for swinging movement toward these fillets and bolts holding the splice bars in position.

5. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends each having a fishing space between the head and flange, a splice bar engaging the flange and web at the bottom on opposite sides of the lower web fillet, clearing from the fillet along the intermediate portion thereof and having initial engagement over substantially its entire upper surface with the under surface of the head of the rail adapted for take-up toward the web and bolts holding the splice bar in position.

6. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends, each having a fishing space between the head and flange and splice bars engaging the flanges and webs at the bottom on opposite sides of the lower web fillet and having initial partial engagement at the upper end with the under surfaces of the heads adapted for adjustment toward the webs, adjusting into more complete engagement with the under faces of the heads.

7. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends and a splice bar engaging the rails and having supporting engagement with the heads of the rails, pivoting engagement with the flanges of the rails, pivoting engagement with the lower parts of the webs of the rails and clearing the rail along the fillet intermediate the web and flange.

8. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends having a fishing space between the heads and flanges, a splice bar having supporting engagement against the rail flanges, pivotal engagement with the lower parts of the webs and clearing the rails along the fillets intermediate the webs and flanges and having lateral takeup at the top and bolts holding the bar to the rail ends. 9. In a rail joint, a pair of rail ends and a splice bar therefor having narrow area of support on the rail base flanges, pivotal support from the lower parts of the webs, clearing the rail along the lower fillet and having engagement with the rail heads and room for adjustment between the upper part of the bar and the head fillet.

10. In a rail joint, a pair of rail ends and a splice bar therefor having narrow area of support from the rail base flanges, pivotal support on the lower parts of the webs, clearing the rails along the lower fillets and having engagement with the rail heads and room for adjustment between the upper part of the bar and the head fillet, the bar making head engagement at spaced distances only along the length of the bar.

11. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends,

a pair of splice bars on opposite sides of the rail ends, each splice bar having two point contact with the base of the rail adjacent the lower fillet and clearing the rail along the fillet, one of the contacts outside of the fillet and take-up adjustment beneath the head of the rails, whereby the bar is supported upon one engagement and during its adjustment rocks about the other engagement.

12. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends and splice bars on opposite sides of the rail ends, the splice bars clearing the rails along the lower fillets and having engagement with the flanges and with portions of the rails above the flanges and below the bolt axis, both engagements beingwithin the fishing spaces of the rails.

13, In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends and splice bars on opposite sides of the rail ends, the splice bars clearing the rails along the lower fillets and having engagement with the flanges and with web portions of the rails above the flanges and below the bolt axis, and a portion of each bar extending beyond the flanges of'the rails.

14. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting railen ds, a pair of splice bars on opposite sides of the rails at the joint, clearing the rails along the lower fillets, restrained against movement toward the web by surfaces parallel with the webs, separately supported against vertical movement by upwardly facing surfaces of the lower parts of the rails and having a take-up under the rail heads, and bolts holding the splice bars in place against the rails.

15. In a rail joint, a pair of meeting rail ends, splice bars, one on each side of the meeting rail ends having a curved lower inner edge flatter in curvature than the curvature of the fillet between the rail webs and flanges whereby the bars clear from the rails along the lower fillets thereof and having take-up at their upper ends against the under surfaces of the heads of the rails and bolts holding the bars in position, the said bars before and after take up being supported from lateral movement by engaging the rail webs at points thereof above the flange and supported from vertical movement by engaging the rail flanges at points thereof laterally beyond the lower fillets.

16. In a rail joint, rails meeting end on end, and. a splice bar having means for take-up and before and after the take-up spaced foot bearing surfaces respectively on opposite sides of the rail flange fillets, whereby the bar is supported at the bottom from vertical movement by its engagement with the flange and from lateral movement by its engagement with the web.

17. In a rail joint, rails meeting end on end, and a splice bar having means for take-up and before and after the take-up spaced foot bearing surfaces respectively on opposite sides of the rail flange fillets and having clearance from the outer portion of the flange fishing surface of the rail, whereby the bar is supported at the bottom from vertical movement by its engagement with the flange and from lateral movement by its engagement with the web.

18. The method of maintaining head support of the rail ends in a joint, which consists in supporting the head vertically through the bar upon the flanges of the rail, in maintaining the foot portion of the splice bar against lateral inward movement by the webs of the splice bar above the flange fillets and separately against vertical movement by the flanges and in providing for the take-up of the bar at the top of the bar.

EUGENE W. CARUTHERS. 

